Frankenstein: Written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro by Sheila O’Malley (Insight Editions) This lavish production invites readers inside the shadowed imagination of Guillermo del Toro as he reinterprets Mary Shelley’s enduring myth. Filled with storyboards, concept art, film stills, and candid set photography, the book reveals the meticulous design thinking behind the director’s highly anticipated adaptation. Interviews with the cast including Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz illuminate performances shaped by rich period detail and psychological depth. Particularly compelling are del Toro’s own notebook sketches of the creature, reproduced alongside handcrafted ephemera inserted into each copy. Grand in scale and visually arresting, this is less a companion volume than an artifact of cinematic devotion. https://insighteditions.com/

Green-Roof Houses: Environmentally Responsive Architecture by Oscar Riera Ojeda, James Moore McCown (Rizzoli) This richly illustrated survey explores how thirty-two residences across the globe—from Tokyo and São Paulo to Barcelona and the Hamptons—have turned their rooftops into active landscapes. Rather than treating greenery as ornament, the projects integrate living roofs as essential architectural systems, improving insulation, water management, air quality, and biodiversity. Essays and photography place these homes within a broader history of ecological design, while showcasing the ingenuity of firms such as Studio Arthur Casas and Guz Architects. The book offers a compelling case for sustainability as both an environmental strategy and a source of architectural beauty. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

The Art of Korean Cooking by Onjium (Thames & Hudson) This elegant volume offers a deeply considered entry point into Korean cuisine, balancing scholarship with practical instruction. Developed by Onjium, the book gathers more than eighty rigorously tested recipes while weaving in essays that trace culinary traditions from the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties to the present. Particular attention is given to Royal Court cooking, reinterpreted with contemporary finesse. With over 120 refined illustrations, the book reads as both cultural document and working kitchen companion—an invitation to understand Korean food as history, ritual, and living art. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Wu Bin: The Design Language of Timeless East by Wu Bin (Rizzoli) This elegant monograph presents Wu Bin as a master of restraint in an age of visual excess. Drawing from recent projects by W.DESIGN, from mountain hotels and seaside estates to urban apartments, the book reveals an interior language that fuses Chinese landscape traditions with Western modernism. Wu’s spaces favor proportion, material intelligence, and a fluid dialogue between inside and out, producing environments of rare composure. Grand volumes are tempered by subtle detail and natural rhythm. Finished with an embroidered cloth cover, the volume mirrors the designer’s ethos: luxurious, disciplined, and quietly resonant. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

The Art of the Book: 75 Years of Thames & Hudson by Anna Nyburg (Thames & Hudson) Marking seventy-five years of independent publishing, this ambitious volume charts how Thames & Hudson turned the idea of a “museum without walls” into a lasting cultural force. Structured in three chronological sections, the book traces the house’s evolution from its prewar origins to its global present, guided by incisive essays from historian Nyburg. Lavish pictorial spreads celebrate landmark titles across art, design, fashion, and architecture, revealing how form and scholarship have advanced together. Featuring 2,000 illustrations—1,800 in color—it’s both a publishing history and a manifesto for the art book as object. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Cartier Monaco by Alexandra Campbell, Hervé Dewintre (Flammarion) This sumptuous volume traces Cartier’s enduring relationship with Monaco, where glamour, royalty, and Mediterranean light converged. From the maison’s early presence on the Riviera to its close association with Grace Kelly, the book reveals how landmark jewels—engagement rings, tiaras, and rivière necklaces—became woven into the principality’s modern mythology. Richly illustrated and historically attentive, it situates Cartier’s Monaco boutique not as a retail destination but as a cultural fixture, reaffirming the house’s role in shaping Riviera elegance across generations. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

The Iconic Nordic House: Modern Masterworks Since 1900 by Dominic Bradbury, Richard Powers (Thames & Hudson) This sweeping survey traces why the Nordic home continues to set the global standard for modern living. Bringing together forty houses across Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands, the book moves fluidly between midcentury pioneers and today’s sustainability-driven innovators. Remote mountain retreats, waterside dwellings, and urban landmarks reveal a shared commitment to warmth, restraint, and environmental sensitivity. Specially commissioned photography—more than 400 color illustrations in total—anchors the analysis in place, making a persuasive case for a regional tradition that balances experimentation with deep respect for landscape and light. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Zofia Kulik by Zofia Kulik (Thames & Hudson) This bracing retrospective positions Kulik as one of the most uncompromising image-makers to emerge from postwar Europe. Spanning early collaborative work to her monumental solo photomontages, the book traces how Kulik fused feminism, eroticism, and political history into densely patterned black-and-white compositions that probe power, identity, and the psyche. Her iconic series The Splendor of Myself anchors a broader survey that also recovers lesser-known experiments. With 150 color illustrations and incisive critical texts, the volume offers a long-overdue introduction to an artist whose work remains unsettling, exacting, and fiercely intelligent. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss by Asha de Vos (Thames & Hudson) This immersive volume charts the ocean as a vertical world, guiding readers from the familiar shallows to the near-mythic depths of the abyss. Organized by depth zones, the book pairs lucid scientific framing with arresting imagery—microscopic organisms, radiant coral systems, and the abstract geometry of deep-sea life—revealing how dramatically conditions shape existence beneath the surface. A concluding section traces humanity’s evolving relationship with the oceans, from exploration to conservation. With 412 color illustrations, archival material, and elegant infographics, it balances visual wonder with quiet urgency, making a persuasive case for understanding—and protecting—the planet’s largest living system. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

The Art of Kaylene Whiskey: Do You Believe in Love? by Kaylene Whiskey (Thames & Hudson) This exuberant first monograph introduces Kaylene Whiskey as a singular force in contemporary painting. Working from Iwantja Arts in remote Central Australia, Whiskey folds pop divas like Dolly Parton, Cher, Tina Turner into Anangu cosmology, recasting global icons within the Seven Sisters story with wit and affection. Her dotted, doodle-inflected compositions brim with speech bubbles, rainbows, and defiant femininity, balancing humor with cultural assertion. Essays and an extended artist interview illuminate a practice that treats pop culture not as spectacle but as shared language, joyfully braided with tradition, memory, and community life. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

The Primacy of Drawing by Deanna Petherbridge (Thames & Hudson) In this expanded second edition, Deanna Petherbridge makes a rigorous case for drawing as the foundation of visual thought rather than a preparatory afterthought. Moving from ancient origin myths to contemporary debates about technology and performance, she maps a continuum between exploratory sketch and formal study, examining line, mark, and composition with pedagogical clarity. Chapters on copying, academic training, satire, and eroticism reveal how drawing structures invention itself. Illustrated with 253 color images, the book functions as both a critical history and a practical framework for understanding how artists think on paper. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Switzerland: The Monocle Handbook by Monocle Et al. (Thames & Hudson) The latest entry in Monocle’s travel handbook series approaches Switzerland with equal parts precision and pleasure. Drawing on deep local knowledge, the guide moves easily from historic towns and alpine villages to contemporary architecture in Zurich, Basel, and Geneva, while spotlighting places to eat, stay, shop, and linger. Beyond itineraries, it also considers longer-term living, profiling cantons, designers, and domestic interiors. Illustrated with 350 color images, the book balances inspiration with utility, making it as useful for a weekend escape as for anyone contemplating a more permanent Swiss foothold. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

The Prado Masterpieces by Museo Nacional del Prado (Thames & Hudson) Published by Museo Nacional del Prado itself, this impressive survey offers a lucid, chronological passage through one of the world’s most consequential art collections. Moving from classical sculpture to the political ruptures of the nineteenth century, the book reveals how royal taste shaped the evolution of European painting. Landmark works by Velázquez, El Greco, and Goya anchor thematic sections on portraiture, still life, and religious art, while cross-generational pairings illuminate artistic influence and dialogue. Illustrated with 385 color images, it functions equally well as a reference guide and a distilled history of Western art. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Thinking through Shakespeare by David Womersley (Princeton) This probing study approaches Shakespeare not as an oracle of timeless truths but as a dramatist testing the fault lines of human conflict. Moving across Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and beyond, the book situates the plays within long-running debates about identity, power, religion, and moral compromise. Rather than flattening Shakespeare into universality, it traces how his dramas stage competing visions of civilization and authority, inviting readers to weigh their consequences. The result is a measured, historically attentive argument for why Shakespeare’s work endures—as a searching inquiry into problems that remain unsettled. https://press.princeton.edu/

Railsong: A Novel by Rahul Bhattacharya (Bloomsbury) Set against the clang and upheaval of a newly independent India, Railsong follows Charu, the motherless daughter of a railway worker, as she slips the confines of a drought-stricken town and heads toward Bombay’s promise. The novel is engrossing in its attention to detail: the transition from steam to diesel, the rhythms of railway life, the quiet humiliations of class and gender. Charu’s unlikely rise as railway employee and census enumerator unfolds with elegiac sweep and flashes of humor. Immersive and deeply felt, it renders personal ambition inseparable from a nation in motion. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/

The dining room, designed by Chicago architecture firm Rugo/Raff, balances warmth and restraint: soft lighting, wood textures, and an open kitchen that keeps the energy alive. Following a recent refresh, the space feels even more convivial; a place where locals gather for a proper meal rather than a fleeting culinary spectacle.

The evening began with a petite onion soup, a deceptively simple starter that set the tone for the night. Unlike many versions that lean heavily on broth, this one was dense with deeply caramelized onions, almost spoon-standing in its concentration. topped with a generous crown of molten cheese that stretched luxuriously with each bite. Served in a portion just large enough for two to share, it delivered comfort without excess. Next came the steak tartare, a dish that revealed the kitchen’s confidence and restraint. Finely chopped beef arrived crowned with a raw egg yolk whose richness gently bound the flavors together. The seasoning was subtle rather than aggressive—clean, balanced, and quietly addictive.

For the mains, the halibut showcased Beran’s ability to let pristine ingredients speak. The fish arrived with a delicate char that added a whisper of smokiness, while the interior remained perfectly flaky and moist—a simple execution that highlighted both technique and product. Then came the quintessential steak frites, the bistro classic that no French-leaning restaurant can escape. Pasjoli’s version delivered exactly what one hopes for: tender beef and crisp fries. The only minor note was a slightly heavy hand with the finishing salt; a touch less would have allowed the natural flavors to shine even more brightly.

To drink, we opted for The Countess, a house cocktail that elevates the classic gimlet with layers of aromatic nuance. Built with gin, basil, St-Germain, and fennel pollen, it arrives bright and refreshing, its subtle floral notes lending the drink an elegant lift without overpowering the palate. Dessert closed the evening on a high note with a burnt Basque cheesecake—creamy yet satisfyingly dense, its caramelized exterior giving way to a lush interior that felt indulgent without being cloying.

Pasjoli ultimately succeeds because it doesn’t try to reinvent French cuisine; instead, it refines it. The result is a restaurant that feels both timeless and entirely at home in Santa Monica, a place where classical technique meets the easygoing pleasure of a neighborhood dinner that quietly turns memorable.

— Ghalib Dhalla / Mounir Siraji

Pasjoli 2732 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 Tel: (424) 330-0020 Website: https://www.pasjoli.com

Leading the evening was the ever-charismatic Rachael Worby, Artistic and Music Director of MUSE/IQUE, who conducted the orchestra while guiding the audience through Jones’s remarkable seven-decade career. With the ease of a seasoned storyteller, Worby wove together music, history, and personal anecdotes, illuminating the collaborations and innovations that shaped Jones’s singular genius.

The evening began outdoors in the charming Jamie Tisch Sculpture Garden, where guests gathered for drinks accompanied by live jazz—an elegant prelude that set the tone for the celebration to follow. Once inside the theater, the music took center stage. Grammy Award winner Brandon Victor Dixon delivered a silky, effortlessly stylish rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon,” evoking Jones’s iconic arrangements for Frank Sinatra. Electrifying vocalist Vanessa Bryan followed with a powerful interpretation of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” her voice filling the theater with sweeping emotional intensity.

“Quincy Jones didn’t just shape American music, he expanded its possibilities.”

As the program unfolded, the audience traveled through the many musical worlds Jones helped shape—from jazz standards to pop milestones. Songs associated with Michael Jackson, including “Human Nature” and “The Way You Make Me Feel,” were brought vividly to life while nostalgic photographs illuminated the screen behind the orchestra, capturing Jones’s radiant smile and the constellation of artists who shared his journey.

Worby’s anecdotes added delightful depth to the evening. With warmth and humor, she recounted how persistent Jones had been in persuading Steven Spielberg to direct “The Color Purple.” Before the orchestra performed the film’s poignant theme, she shared another fascinating story: how legendary composer John Williams once sought Jones’s blessing to adapt the score for violin to be performed by the incomparable Itzhak Perlman on his treasured 1714 Stradivarius. For this evening’s performance, Worby unveiled a special surprise—the opportunity to hear a magnificent 1716 Stradivarius violin, exquisitely played by concertmaster Alyssa Park. The instrument’s luminous tone filled the hall with breathtaking warmth, creating a moment of pure musical magic.

Among those in attendance was Monica Mancini, daughter of the legendary composer Henry Mancini, joining others in honoring Jones’s extraordinary legacy. To close the evening, Bryan brought the audience to its feet with an exuberant rendition of “Let the Good Times Roll,” while images of Jones alongside his lifelong friend Ray Charles—whom he met as a teenager—filled the screen behind her. It was a fitting finale: joyful, nostalgic, and brimming with gratitude for a musical life that touched generations.

The celebration also marked the beginning of MUSE/IQUE’s 2026 season, Where the Heart Is, which promises more imaginative programming, including Back to Oz and Defiantly Joni. Meanwhile, The Wallis continues its vibrant 2025–2026 Without Limits season, offering audiences an eclectic mix of jazz, contemporary dance, theater, and more. If Quincy’s World reminded us of anything, it is that Quincy Jones did not simply shape American music—he expanded its possibilities, leaving behind a soundtrack of joy that continues to resonate today.

— Rosane Grimberg

Part of the magic lies in the design itself. On one side of the dining room, a veranda opens toward the lush greenery of the Horto, where a towering palm tree is not merely decorative but integrated directly into the architecture, a playful and irreverent signature of architect João Uchôa, known for landmark projects such as Rock in Rio and Cidade do Samba. The effect is quintessentially carioca: the boundary between indoors and outdoors dissolves, and the restaurant seems to breathe with the surrounding forest. Opposite the veranda sits Empório 1839, a curated pantry of artisanal breads, cheeses, preserves and charcuterie sourced from small Brazilian producers. The result is a setting where Rio’s urban sophistication meets the exuberance of its natural landscape, an atmosphere at once elegant, relaxed, and unmistakably local.

At the helm, Argentine chef Adair Herrera builds a menu around the elemental power of the grill, from certified Black Angus beef to pristine seafood and vegetables. The menu moves fluently across geographies while remaining grounded in Brazil’s larder. Feta with pistachio arrives glossed in caramel and flecked with fleur de sel — a balancing act of sweet, saline and crunch. The truffled steak tartare, built from filet mignon and crowned with a parmesan crisp, is precise and restrained, the truffle a whisper rather than a declaration. Black brioche filled with 12-hour short rib is plush and deeply savory, brightened by grain mustard and pickled onion. Even the edamame transcends the expected, glossed with smoked ghee butter and house chili, while the Del’Orto vegetable gyoza delivers an intensely umami bite lifted by sesame ponzu and gochugaru heat.

Mains reveal composure and technique. A mushroom risoni layered shiitake, shimeji, button mushrooms and black garlic into something earthy and enveloping. The Black Angus ancho steak arrived beautifully composed alongside burnt leek purée, glazed leeks and crisp leek straw — char, sweetness and texture in measured harmony. The Casa Horto fish, set against purple potato mash and pickled fennel with beurre blanc, balanced richness with brightness in a way that felt both cosmopolitan and distinctly Brazilian.

The cocktail program, led by Jessica Sanchez, widely acclaimed as one of Rio’s finest bartenders and recognized by Forbes as Melhor Bartender da América Latina, anchors the evening with authority. Butter Whisky, Scotch fat-washed with browned butter and layered with champagne reduction and nutmeg, is indulgent yet disciplined. Flora shimmers with elderflower and quinine cordial, citrus and bitters. Maquiavel marries tequila, green apple cordial and elderflower into something floral and architectural. Each drink feels composed rather than mixed — intentional, structured, confident. Brava, Jessica!

And on certain evenings, P’alma shifts again. During our visit, performer Danni Carlos took the stage, delivering an electrifying set that moved effortlessly from Amy Winehouse to U2 to Michael Jackson, a surprising, sophisticated mix of pop and rock classics that transformed the room without overpowering it. Guests lingered longer, wine glasses paused midair, conversations softened into shared appreciation. The music did not compete with dinner; it elevated it. It is this layering of gastronomy, architecture, and performance that gives P’alma its pulse.

Dessert closes with quiet finesse: a Gold Mille-Feuille layered with white Belgian chocolate namelaka cream and strawberry powder, elegant and architectural, followed by a molten chocolate pot perfumed with Bahia orange cream, warm, lush and gently citrus-scented.

What ultimately distinguishes P’alma is its cultivated generosity. The welcome is sincere, the service intuitive, the energy measured but alive. In a city celebrated for spectacle, Casa Horto offers something subtler: belonging within beauty. It is not merely a place to dine, but a place to settle into. And return to.

— Ghalib Dhalla

P’alma – Casa Horto Rua Pacheco Leão 696, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro +55 21 3190-0028
casahorto.com.br | @casahorto

A thoughtful pre-performance talk by Dr. Tiffany Kuo illuminated two symbolic pillars that shape the opera’s world: the heart and the sun. Akhnaten’s life—believed to have spanned roughly thirty-five years—echoes through the structure of the piece itself. Over the course of its three-and-a-half-hour duration, time seems to stretch and compress so that each hour of performance reflects nearly a decade of the pharaoh’s life. Movements onstage unfold with deliberate slowness, gestures suspended in time as if bearing the weight of years. What might initially resemble slow motion gradually reveals itself as something far more profound: the sense of an entire life unfolding before our eyes. Paired with Glass’s pulsating minimalist score, the effect becomes deeply immersive—less a narrative than a sustained state of contemplation.

“The result is hypnotic: a fusion of music, movement, and imagery that turns ancient history into living theater.”

The opera opens with a solemn ritual drawn from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, depicting the weighing of the heart of the deceased pharaoh Amenhotep III against the feather of Ma’at, goddess of truth and cosmic order—the final judgment that determines whether the ruler may enter the afterlife. Director Phelim McDermott brings this ancient world vividly to life through a visual language of extraordinary imagination. The stage fills with spectacular imagery: elaborate costumes crowned with animal heads, plumes, and intricate beadwork that evoke both the mystery and majesty of ancient Egypt.

From there the narrative follows Akhnaten’s birth, coronation, and revolutionary religious vision—the establishment of a monotheistic worship centered on the sun. A radiant disc of light looms behind him, reinforcing his belief that he is the son of the sun god. As the drama unfolds, Glass’s score mirrors the shifting emotional landscape. Tempos expand and contract, and an inventive signature of this production—a troupe of jugglers—translates the music into movement. Manipulating balls with astonishing precision, their patterns accelerate and slow in hypnotic dialogue with the orchestra, becoming a visual embodiment of the score’s rhythmic pulse.

Among the evening’s standout performances, Grammy-winning bass-baritone Zachary James commands attention as Amenhotep III. With imposing stage presence and a richly resonant voice, he anchors the opera’s opening moments with gravitas and grandeur. Countertenor John Holiday brings an otherworldly beauty to the title role, his luminous timbre floating above the orchestra with haunting clarity. His voice finds a striking complement in the warm mezzo-soprano of Sun-Ly Pierce as Queen Nefertiti; together their duets shimmer with emotional intensity, lending human tenderness to the opera’s monumental scale.

Whether encountered by seasoned opera lovers or curious newcomers, Akhnaten offers something rare: an experience that transcends conventional storytelling. In Glass’s hands—and in this extraordinary production—the story of a pharaoh becomes something timeless, a meditation on power, faith, and mortality that lingers long after the final note fades. Like the sun it celebrates, the opera casts a light that reaches across centuries.

— Rosane Grimberg

Akhanaten plays through March 22nd. More information at https://www.laopera.org/

The ensemble is uniformly superb, navigating tonal whiplash with astonishing fluency. Humor gives way to dread, intimacy curdles into accusation, and then, just when the atmosphere threatens to collapse under its own emotional density, the writing pivots again. There is no slack in the structure. At one hour and forty minutes, Beth Hyland’s play unfolds without a single inert beat.

The scenic design by Studio Bent deserves particular praise. Time shifts between the present day and the early 1960s occur with such fluidity that one barely registers the mechanics behind them. Rooms dissolve into memory; memory sharpens into confrontation. The transitions feel less like technical feats than psychological slips, as though the past is not being staged but simply returning.

“One of the most gripping productions the Geffen has mounted in recent seasons.”

Of the stellar cast, Marianna Gailus is particularly electrifying. Her Sylvia carries both radiance and peril, recalling a young Meryl Streep in the early, nervy vulnerability of Plenty, that sense of intelligence and emotion so acute it borders on combustive. Gailus captures the quicksilver shifts of a woman at once incandescent and unraveling.

The play invokes the historical figure of Sylvia Plath without reducing her to a footnote of tragedy. Plath, abandoned wife of Ted Hughes, mother of two, and author of poems that mapped her psychological descent with searing precision, ended her life at thirty, yet left work that remains indelibly etched in the American canon. Here, even the specter of that suicide is handled with tonal dexterity: referenced with dark humor and a lightness that neither trivializes nor sensationalizes it. The balance is astonishing, and it speaks to Hyland’s deft control of a mirrored narrative.

As Sylvia (Gailus) and a smoldering Ted (Cillian O’Sullivan) fracture under the strain of ambition and betrayal, a contemporary couple inhabiting the same Boston apartment wrestles with eerily similar fault lines. Sally (Midori Francis), once celebrated for a breakout debut novel, is now stalled creatively, emotionally, existentially. Her husband Theo (Noah Keyishian) stands at the opposite trajectory: freshly crowned with a major literary award and poised for a prestigious post at Columbia University, his ascent sharpens the imbalance between them.

Sally’s turmoil is layered. She is reeling from a miscarriage, ambivalent about motherhood, wary of her marriage, and paralyzed by writer’s block so severe it threatens legal consequences. The ghosts of Sylvia and Ted do not merely haunt the apartment; they agitate it, provoke it, and at times seem to feed upon Sally’s instability.

What makes the play so riveting is not its ghost story apparatus but its interrogation of artistic identity. Hyland suggests that genius and self-annihilation are dangerously adjacent myths, especially for women whose ambition collides with domestic expectation. The play is ultimately less about Sylvia Plath than about the inheritance she represents, the seductive narrative of the tormented artist, and the question of whether great art, as Ted observes, is born of pain.

Under the astute direction of Jo Bonney, the cast sustains a taut psychological rhythm. There are confrontations that sting, silences that throb, and moments of humor so dry they land like survival tactics. If the Geffen’s season sought a work that is both intellectually muscular and theatrically alive, Sylvia, Sylvia, Sylvia is it. A play that respects its audience’s intelligence while gripping their nerves.

— Ghalib Dhalla

“Sylvia, Sylvia, Sylvia” plays through March 8th at the Geffen Playhouse. More info at https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/

Waterloo Gin The three-gin lineup feels less like a product range than a portrait of place. Named for Austin’s original title, the distillery grounds its work in the character of the Texas Hill Country—limestone-filtered water, restraint in extraction, and a clear respect for ingredients. The Prickly Pear & Rose Gin is the most lyrical, balancing hibiscus and soft florals with a gentle desert sweetness that remains crisp rather than cloying. The Barrel-Aged Gin, rested two years in first-use, medium-char American oak, leans into warm spice and vanilla while keeping its botanical frame intact, making it an easy sipper. No. 9 Gin, the anchor, channels a New American sensibility, with lavender, grapefruit, and pecan delivering a tonic-friendly expression that tastes grounded and unmistakably local. Sustainable sourcing and low-waste practices quietly reinforce a philosophy that values craft as much as landscape. https://www.waterloogin.com/

VINYL

CHET BAKER She Was Too Good To Me (Music on Vinyl) After nearly two decades away from the spotlight, Chet Baker returned with She Was Too Good To Me, a comeback that feels less like a reinvention than a quiet reclaiming of identity. Released in 1974, the album nods lovingly to early-’50s bop while absorbing the mood of its moment. Bob James’s electric piano nudges the sound toward ’70s sophistication, while Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette supply a supple, modern pulse. Paul Desmond’s alto and Hubert Laws’s flute add cool, floating textures, all shaped by Don Sebesky’s elegant arrangements. Still, the heart of the record lies in Baker’s balladry—fragile, intimate, and unmistakably his own—especially on the aching title track and “My Future Just Passed.” The gatefold artwork, revealing itself as a subtle profile, mirrors the album’s understated intelligence. This limited transparent-vinyl edition, capped at 2,000 numbered copies and accompanied by liner notes from Doug Ramsey, is proof that Baker’s voice, bruised but undiminished, could still stop time. https://www.musiconvinyl.com/

ELLA FITZGERALD LIVE IN HELSINKI 1963-1965 Sapphire Edition (The Lost Recordings) By the early 1960s, Ella Fitzgerald had quietly shifted her center of gravity to Europe, finding in Scandinavia a freedom and warmth that eluded her back home. Guided in part by Norman Granz, and buoyed by a renewed sense of personal happiness, Fitzgerald sounded unusually relaxed and luminous during her Helsinki appearances in 1963 and 1965. These newly unearthed concert tapes—released by The Lost Recordings after painstaking archival work—capture her at a peak of ease and command. Her phrasing is playful, her timing elastic, her voice radiantly present. Pressed on 180-gram clear vinyl across three LPs and limited to just 500 copies, the mastering places Fitzgerald startlingly close—less a historical document than a living-room performance. It’s a reminder that when Ella was happy, she didn’t just sing, she glowed. https://thelostrecordings.store/en

BOOKS

Le Bristol Paris: An Ode to the French Art de Vivre by Laure Verchère (Flammarion) From its discreet elegance and serene courtyard to its Michelin-starred dining and impeccably tailored interiors, this century-old palace exudes the essence of Parisian refinement. Once a haven for flâneurs of the Roaring Twenties and now a sanctuary for global tastemakers, it balances old-world grandeur with an unassuming warmth that sets it apart from flashier contemporaries. The pages—silver-edged and richly illustrated—invite readers not just to admire the architecture and décor, but to savor a cultivated lifestyle steeped in art, service, and a quiet, enduring splendor. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Azzedine Alaïa’s Dior Collection by Laurence Benaim Et al. (Rizzoli) Alaïa’s lifelong devotion to fashion history finds its most revealing expression in this intimate study of his Dior holdings. Drawing from a vast personal archive assembled over decades, the book examines what captivated Alaïa most: the architectural rigor of construction, the sensual intelligence of fabric and color, and the evocative poetry embedded in Dior’s names. Rich photography, archival imagery, and design documents illuminate a dialogue across generations, positioning Alaïa not only as a couturier, but as one of Dior’s most perceptive readers and inheritors of form, discipline, and imagination. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Dior Lady Art: The Lady Dior Reinvented by 99 Artists by Hervé Mikaeloff Et al. (Rizzoli) This lavish volume treats the Lady Dior not merely as an accessory but as a platform for artistic reinvention. Inviting leading contemporary artists to reinterpret the iconic handbag, the book documents a series of limited editions that blur the line between couture object and sculptural artwork. From provocations both playful and profound, each contribution reflects a dialogue between Dior’s storied craftsmanship and individual artistic vision. Richly illustrated and unapologetically grand, the collection showcases how a symbol of elegance (introduced in 1995 and forever linked to Lady Diana) continues to evolve through bold, cross-disciplinary collaboration. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Niedermair, Dior drawing / photography by Brigitte Niedermair (Rizzoli) This imposing second volume situates Niedermair’s work for Dior within the discipline of image-making itself. Alongside finished photographs, Niedermair presents the drawings, collages, and sketches that structure her compositions, exposing a method rooted as much in art history as in fashion. References range from Renaissance painting to contemporary visual culture, while couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, and jewelry are reinterpreted through her exacting lens. The result reads less like a fashion book than a study of process—measured, rigorous, and deeply attuned to form. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Dior by Yuriko Takagi by Yuriko Takagi Et al. (Rizzoli) A hauntingly beautiful journey through Dior’s haute couture, this volume captures the house’s spirit as reimagined by Yuriko Takagi’s poetic lens. With dreamlike layers of shadow, nature, and architectural motifs, Takagi’s images evoke a surreal, ephemeral world—where fashion dissolves into light, memory, and atmosphere. Her photographs don’t simply document couture; they transform it into visual poetry, elevating the garments into myth. This is Dior seen not through spectacle but soul—elegant, elusive, and utterly enchanting. A rare fusion of vision and reverence. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Mahabharata: Designs of Dharma by Sanjay Patel (Mandala Publishing) Sanjay Patel reimagines the Mahabharata with a storyteller’s discipline and an animator’s instinct for movement and emotion. Distilling one of the world’s longest epics into a single, approachable volume, he pairs narrative clarity with more than 400 pages of illustrations rendered in his instantly recognizable style. The artwork carries wit, drama, and symbolism in equal measure, allowing readers to enter the story visually as much as textually. Designed to welcome newcomers without simplifying the epic’s moral depth, this is both an accessible retelling and a striking, immersive art book. https://insighteditions.com/

Maki Opus by Maki and Associates (Thames & Hudson) This expansive retrospective offers the clearest window yet into Fumihiko Maki’s disciplined, quietly radical approach to modernism. Compiled with his studio’s close involvement, the volume surveys fifty projects from 1960 onward, pairing lucid essays with an extraordinary archive of drawings, plans, and previously unseen photographs. The selection reflects Maki’s own sense of legacy: buildings that trace shifts in material culture, construction technology, and his dialogue with cities beyond Japan. With more than 650 illustrations, it’s both a visual trove and a thoughtful reassessment of an architect whose “simplicity” has inspired generations. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Exposure – Contemporary Photographers by Amber Creswell Bell (Thames & Hudson) A survey of photographic possibility, this vivid collection spotlights forty contemporary artists whose work spans the lush, the raw, and the surreal. Whether capturing delicate stillness or orchestrating elaborate tableaux, each photographer opens a portal into worlds both intimate and wild. With subjects ranging from identity to the environment, their images transcend the frame to stir, unsettle, or console. Creswell Bell’s curation privileges not just aesthetic range but emotional resonance—offering a glimpse into how we shape and are shaped by the images we expose to the light. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

The Monocle Book of Designers on Sofas by Monocle (Thames & Hudson) This slyly charming collection treats the sofa as both stage and confessional. Fifty designers are photographed at home or in their studios—often alongside pets, partners, or the quiet clutter of daily life—then interviewed with disarming candor about work, taste, ambition, and doubt. The furniture becomes a starting point rather than the point itself, opening onto broader reflections about how designers live and think. A foldout surveying a century of iconic sofas adds historical context, while the rich color photography keeps the mood relaxed, curious, and quietly revealing. 200 color illustrations. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Worldly Afterlives: Tracing Family Trails Between India and Empire by Julia Stephens (Princeton) Stephens reconstructs the afterlife of empire through the paper trails and personal remnants left behind by Indian migrants who sustained British rule across the globe. Drawing on archives scattered from the Indian Ocean to the Americas—alongside family collections, interviews, and digital records—she follows how lives were catalogued, displaced, and remembered. The book foregrounds women, mixed-heritage families, and subaltern workers whose stories unsettle nationalist and patriarchal histories of migration. At once social history and methodological intervention, it offers a quietly powerful meditation on how imperial governance continues to shape memory and belonging. https://press.princeton.edu/

Worlds of Islam: A Global History by James McDougall (Basic Books) James McDougall offers a wide-ranging history that treats Islam not as a static tradition but as a faith shaped by movement, adaptation, and debate. From its early emergence in Arabia to its global presence in the digital age, the book traces how Muslims navigated empire, colonialism, nationalism, and modern politics across continents. McDougall balances grand historical arcs with sharp attention to local variation, showing monarchs, reformers, revolutionaries, and activists responding differently to shared pressures. The result is a clear-eyed, deeply contextual account of how a global Muslim world was made, and continually remade. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/basic-books/

Michelangelo and Titian: A Tale of Rivalry and Genius by William E. Wallace (Princeton) Wallace reframes the relationship between Michelangelo and Titian as a sustained, quietly combustible exchange rather than a one-sided contest. Beginning with their first encounter in Venice and culminating decades later in Rome, the book traces how each artist measured himself against the other’s achievements in color, form, and ambition. Moving through papal courts and elite patronage networks, Wallace brings Renaissance rivalries, gossip, and alliances vividly to life. His account shows how admiration and competition coexisted, revealing a reciprocal creative tension that pushed both masters toward enduring greatness. https://press.princeton.edu/

La Prairie Pure Gold Revitalizing Essence feels like the moment luxury skincare finally caught up with women’s real lives. Rather than chasing surface-level glow, this luminous, gold-infused treatment is designed for a far more nuanced challenge: skin that’s being quietly reshaped by hormonal shifts, stress, and time. It doesn’t just hydrate, it recalibrates. The skin looks calmer, fuller, more luminous, as if it’s been gently reminded how to function at its best again.

At the core is La Prairie’s signature cellular science, paired with an intelligent blend of peptides and pure gold that works to support skin when its natural renewal systems begin to falter. As estrogen levels fluctuate, the complexion often loses density, brightness, and resilience. This potion targets those changes with remarkable precision, helping restore bounce, smooth uneven tone, and bring back a healthy, energized glow.

The sensory experience is just as considered as the science behind it. The essence has a luminous, fluid texture that spreads effortlessly, cushioning the skin in a veil of hydration without leaving any residue behind. It feels instantly calming, almost cocooning, yet never occlusive. A faint whisper of fresh greenery and soft florals lingers for a moment before fading into something clean and comforting, giving the whole application an unexpectedly elegant, spa-like quality.

What truly sets Pure Gold Revitalising Essence apart is its sense of purpose. This isn’t skincare built for a single age bracket or fleeting trend. It’s created for women moving through profound biological transitions — when skin suddenly behaves differently and needs more than just another moisturizer. In that sense, it feels almost ahead of its time: part beauty, part longevity science, part quiet luxury. And yes, despite its goals, the essence like all La Prairie products is unisex. $530 https://www.laprairie.com/en-us

Krigler Velvet Night 76 is a beautifully restored piece of fashion history, tracing its roots back to a pivotal moment in Paris, when women were stepping into a new kind of independence and the city’s nightlife pulsed with disco and possibility. That spirit was captured by Liliane Krigler, who envisioned a scent that reflected both elegance and rebellion, a perfume for women who dressed for themselves and stayed out as long as they pleased. Years later, Ben Krigler took on the delicate task of bringing his mother’s creation back to life, carefully refining the original formula so it could shine in a modern world without losing its bold, seductive soul. The result is a perfume that feels timeless but not dated, opening with a bright, sparkling mix of citrus and white florals that feels instantly alive, then deepens into a voluptuous heart of tuberose and jasmine. As it settles, warm vanilla, cedarwood, and soft musk glide in, leaving a sensual, lingering trail that feels intimate rather than overpowering. 76 wears beautifully today because it was never about trends to begin with; it’s about attitude, freedom, and the kind of glamour that doesn’t ask for permission. $595 for 50ml www.krigler.com

Lumeo Skinlift 4D Current Red Light Therapy Kit is the kind of palm-size beauty gadget that makes you do a double take the first time you turn it on. The moment the microcurrents and red-light waves hit—especially in Trinity Mode, which pushes every technology to its highest level—there’s a surprising surge of energy: gentle, buzzy, and oddly addictive, a clear signal that something real is happening beneath the skin. Backed by clinical testing, a single session boosts skin radiance by nearly 23 percent and immediately improves smoothness by over 9 percent, results you can actually see in the mirror. Each three-minute treatment delivers a smart combination of LED therapy, microcurrent stimulation, serum infusion, and massage that, with continued use, helps soften fine lines, lift tired contours, and bring dull skin back to life. Crow’s feet look smoother, jawlines appear more sculpted, and puffiness is visibly dialed down. It’s a high-tech wake-up call for your face—fast, effective, and surprisingly luxurious. Versatile enough to pair with any water-based serum, though the proprietary 8Pepta Activating Serum takes the glow to another level. $214 https://laduora.com/

G.M. Collin Diamond Anti-Aging Cream is unapologetically extra—in the best way. Housed in a satisfyingly heavy, jewel-like jar complete with its own spatula, it immediately signals that this is skincare meant to be savored. Inside, photoluminescent diamond powder gives skin that coveted soft-focus glow, blurring lines and boosting radiance like a real-life beauty filter. Peptides, snow algae, and ultra-filling hyaluronic spheres get to work firming, smoothing, and flooding skin with lasting hydration. Fine lines look softened, texture appears velvety, and elasticity gets a visible lift. Lightly scented and deliciously indulgent without being heavy, it’s less “basic moisturizer” and more red-carpet skin in a jar—glamorous, luminous, and made to be admired. $300 https://www.gmcollin.com/

(plated) Eye Serum brings serious biotech into the most delicate real estate on your face. Built around platelet-derived exosomes and the brand’s proprietary Renewosome technology, this targeted treatment is designed to help jump-start skin’s natural renewal right where fatigue and aging show up first. The lightweight, water and glycerine-based gel sinks in instantly, cooling on contact and leaving the under-eye area feeling refreshed rather than coated. With continued use, dark circles appear brighter, puffiness looks dialed down, and fine lines soften as the skin begins to look firmer and more energized. Fast-absorbing, non-greasy, and quietly powerful—more like skincare with a medical degree than another pretty tube on your vanity. No wonder this little wonder was an ELLE Beauty Winner (2024). $138 https://platedskinscience.com/

Augustinus Bader The Cream is engineered luxury, designed to make skin behave better over time. The featherlight formula is powered by the brand’s proprietary TFC8® technology, a complex of amino acids, vitamins, and lipids that supports skin’s natural renewal process while reinforcing the barrier against daily stress. The results aren’t just theoretical: 89% of users report their skin looks healthier, 87% say it feels stronger and more energized, and 92% see dullness visibly reduced. On the skin, it delivers lasting hydration without weight, smoothing fine lines, calming redness, and leaving the complexion noticeably more balanced and resilient. Fragrance-free and non-greasy. $99 https://augustinusbader.com/us/en/

Many audiences will come to the story already familiar with its previous incarnations, not only the best-selling novel but also the iconic 2004 film adaptation directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. While the musical honors the emotional core of its predecessors, it introduces subtle yet meaningful shifts. The setting has been reimagined as a coastal town in the Mid-Atlantic, softening the Southern sensibility of the film into something more universal. Likewise, the timeline has been adjusted: Noah now serves in Vietnam, not World War II, adding a layer of generational resonance to the story’s backdrop.

“A meditation on memory, love, and the grace of staying.”

Tackling both the grandeur of lifelong romance and the gradual disintegration wrought by Alzheimer’s is a delicate undertaking. Yet this production never succumbs to melodrama. Instead, it leans into nuance, inviting the audience to navigate the shifting landscapes of memory and time with empathy and imagination. The emotional arc is felt as much through design as it is through narrative.

Scenic designers David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, working in poetic tandem with lighting designer Ben Stanton, create a world suspended in memory. Threads of light dangle from above, glowing like synapses or strands of time, guiding the audience between past and present. These luminous elements don’t just illuminate scenes, they embody the fragility and radiance of remembrance itself. In moments when memory dims, the light dims too. It’s haunting and exquisite.

The narrative unfolds through three distinct versions of Noah (Kyle Mangold, Ken Wulf Clark, and Beau Gravitte) and Allie (Chloë Cheers, Alysha Deslorieux, and Sharon Catherine Brown), who take turns portraying the couple across different life stages. Rather than feeling fractured, this structure deepens the emotional resonance, allowing love to be witnessed not as a single spark, but as a continuum—passionate, complicated, heroic in its quiet persistence. The casting is inspired, and each set of actors brings a unique texture to their chapter of this enduring love story.

The production’s emotional center arrives, unsurprisingly, during the legendary rain scene. Positioned at the heart of the theater, it is staged with such breathless beauty that the audience collectively paused, suspended with the characters. It’s cinematic, yes, but it’s also very much a feat of stagecraft. Raw, romantic, and soaked in yearning, the moment becomes a baptism of love, memory, and loss.

— Rosane Grimberg

“The Notebook” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through January 25th. More information at https://www.broadwayinhollywood.com/

Set largely inside a recording studio in the mid-1970s, the play has inevitably drawn comparisons to the real-life saga of Fleetwood Mac and the tortured creation of Rumours. The parallels are easy to spot: romantic entanglements, creative rivalry, chemical excess, and the strange alchemy that turns emotional wreckage into transcendent sound. But Stereophonic is far too disciplined—and too intelligent—to drift into imitation. Instead, it captures something more universal: how brilliance often emerges through fracture.

Written with remarkable restraint and insight, the play made history with 13 Tony Award nominations at the 77th ceremony, ultimately winning five, including Best Play, Best Direction, Best Featured Actor (Will Brill), Best Scenic Design, and Best Sound Design. The accolades feel less like hype than recognition of a work that quietly dominates its field.

“A raw, intimate immersion into the beautiful chaos of creation…both electrifying and deeply earned.”

The scenic design places us inside a working studio—wood-paneled, claustrophobic, and lived-in in the way creative spaces become when time stretches and patience thins. The sound design functions not merely as atmosphere but as narrative engine: silence, feedback, repetition, and half-formed melodies serve as emotional punctuation. Listening becomes as essential as watching.

In this Los Angeles production, the performances feel especially alive. Claire DeJean’s Diana is quietly devastating, anchored by a voice that is powerful yet intimate—never showy, always truthful. When she sings, the room seems to hold its breath. Emilie Kouatchou brings equal vocal authority, her sound rich and emotionally exact, deepening the play’s ongoing conversation between music and meaning.

What Stereophonic understands—perhaps better than any recent play—is that creation is rarely romantic in real time. It is messy, repetitive, and often exhausting. Songs are born from arguments. Silence becomes a weapon. Love and resentment share the same microphone. And yet, out of this chaos, something enduring takes shape.

Director Daniel Aukin allows the play to breathe, resisting the temptation to hurry revelation. Scenes linger. Conversations circle back on themselves. The audience is asked not to observe the process, but to inhabit it. It’s a bold choice—and a deeply rewarding one.

By the end of the evening, Stereophonic leaves behind not catharsis, but recognition. Anyone who has ever tried to make something meaningful—with others, against time, under pressure—will see themselves reflected here. At the Pantages, Stereophonic arrives not as spectacle, but as a masterclass in listening. And like the greatest albums born of turmoil, it reminds us that sometimes the noise is the point—and the harmony comes later.

–Rosane Grimberg

“Stereophonic” runs through January 2nd at the Pantages Theatre. More information at https://www.broadwayinhollywood.com/